Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Mojtaba Khamenei, born in 1969, is the second son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s late supreme leader. After completing high school, he studied theology and served as a teenager in the Iran–Iraq War.
Unlike many prominent political figures in Iran, he has never held elected office. Nevertheless, he has become an influential figure behind the scenes within the country’s conservative political establishment.
Mojtaba first gained public attention in the late 1990s following the landslide defeat of conservative candidate, Ali Akbar Nategh Nuri, in the 1997 presidential election.
In the aftermath of that defeat, conservatives recognised the need to rebuild and reorganise their political influence, and Mojtaba is widely believed to have played a central role in that effort.
He later became associated with the suppression of the 2009 post-election protests, during which reformists accused him of overseeing politically sensitive legal cases, including that of senior reformist Mostafa Tajzadeh and his wife.
In 2022, Mojtaba was granted the title of ayatollah, an important religious credential for Iran’s top leadership. By that point, he had also become a regular presence alongside his father in key political meetings.
He is believed to wield influence over the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the state media organisation often criticised for heavy-handed propaganda. He has also reportedly played a central role in managing his father’s extensive financial holdings.
His closest allies include Ahmad Vahidi, the newly appointed IRGC commander; Hossein Taeb, the former head of the IRGC’s intelligence branch; and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of parliament. These connections have strengthened his position within Iran’s hardline political elite.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s hardline, anti-Western stance has drawn sharp criticism from Washington.
President Donald Trump said he feared Iran’s next leader could be ‘as bad as the previous person’.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously described Iran as being “run by religious fanatic lunatics”, and said Mojtaba’s appointment would “hardly change the regime’s hostility toward America.”
Analysts say Mojtaba’s succession would likely reinforce an uncompromising direction in Iran’s foreign policy, signalling that the Islamic Republic is unlikely to seek rapprochement with the United States or moderate its regional ambitions in the near future.
Israeli air strikes have recently targeted Iranian sites, including the city of Qom, one of Shia Islam’s principal centres of learning. Mojtaba's wife, the daughter of prominent hardliner and former parliament speaker Gholamali Haddadadel, was killed in last Saturday's airstrikes. He also lost his mother, sister, brother-in-law, and nephews in the attacks.
Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country was being governed by a three-member council composed of senior clerics and government officials until the Assembly of Experts formally convened to select a leader.
Internet restrictions and limited information flows have made it difficult to verify developments inside Iran.
Experts warn that the selection of the next supreme leader will have profound consequences for Iran’s domestic politics and its relations with the West.
It is believed the choice of Mojtaba Khamenei will cement strict control over the Islamic Republic and signal the continuation of policies aligned with the IRGC, while diminishing prospects for reform or reconciliation with Western powers.
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Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has said that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to ships again, citing alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Israel. Lebanon has said Israeli strikes killed 16 people on Saturday.
The United States is working with Qatar on a plan that could give Iran access to billions of dollars in frozen funds for humanitarian purchases, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 20 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for veteran forward Miguel Almirón.
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
U.S. President Donald Trump sought a deal with Iran "out of deperation," Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said, in a statement on social media. Khamenei added that he himself "held a different view," to Trump, but allowed the agreement after receiving assurances from Iran's President.
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Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary in U.S.-Iran diplomacy after months of shuttle talks, draft revisions and regional coordination involving Gulf states and China. An interim understanding has been reached, but officials warn the most difficult phase of negotiations still lies ahead.
The United States is working with Qatar on a plan that could give Iran access to billions of dollars in frozen funds for humanitarian purchases, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
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